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p53, also known as Tumor protein P53, cellular tumor antigen p53 (UniProt name), or transformation-related protein 53 (TRP53) is a regulatory protein that is often mutated in human cancers. The p53 proteins (originally thought to be, and often spoken of as, a single protein) are crucial in vertebrates , where they prevent cancer formation. [ 5 ]
The p53 protein is a transcription factor that, when activated as part of the cell's response to stress, regulates many downstream target genes, including BID. However, p53 also has a transcription-independent role in apoptosis. In particular, p53 interacts with Bax, promoting Bax activation and the insertion of Bax into the mitochondrial membrane.
[11] [12] These pathways also stimulate the tumor suppressor p53. p53 regulates the function of the Cdk2 inhibitor p21 and the 14-3-3 proteins that phosphorylate (and thereby inactivate) and sequester Cdc25 in the cytoplasm, respectively. [13] Recent studies have also suggested that Cdk1 and 14-3-3 positively regulate Wee1 in a similar manner.
P53, p63, and p73 have similar features in their gene structures and functions but have also diverged evolutionarily. The p53 family evolved from an ancestor gene in unicellular life. [ 4 ] The ancestor gene functioned in germ line DNA protection early invertebrates. [ 5 ]
PUMA can also function as an indicator of p53 mutations. Many cancers exhibit mutations in the p53 gene, but this mutation can only be detected through extensive DNA sequencing. Studies have shown that cells with p53 mutations have significantly lower levels of PUMA, making it a good candidate for a protein marker of p53 mutations, providing a ...
p53 can be activated in response to a wide variety of cellular stressors, both oncogenic and non-oncogenic. An important checkpoint in a complex pathway, activated p53 has been shown to bind DNA and transcriptionally regulate genes that can mediate a variety of cellular growth processes including DNA repair , growth arrest, cellular senescence ...
Furthermore, the CHK2 protein interacts with several other proteins including p53 (p53). Stabilization of p53 by CHK2 leads to cell cycle arrest in phase G1 . Furthermore, CHK2 is known to phosphorylate the cell-cycle transcription factor E2F1 and the promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) involved in apoptosis (programmed cell death).
Mdm2 has been identified as a p53 interacting protein that represses p53 transcriptional activity. Mdm2 achieves this repression by binding to and blocking the N-terminal trans-activation domain of p53. Mdm2 is a p53 responsive gene—that is, its transcription can be activated by p53.